Workshop

Workshops

SOLD OUT> UPCOMING EVENT : Cinematic Shadow Theatre Masterclass with Larry Reed in San Francisco, Bay Area, California, USA. The workshop will be held at the Paul Dresher Rehearsal studio in West Oakland. 2253 Poplar St. West Oakland. We will be offering rides to and from the West Oakland BART station.

Summer 2019

By popular demand, now announcing a Cinematic Shadow Theatre Masterclass in the San Francisco Bay Area with Shadow Master Larry Reed and ShadowLight Productions in July 2019. This rarely offered workshop will cover shadow theatre history, a variety of lighting and projection methods, screen types, puppetry, set and mask technique and a hands-on ensemble workshop culminating in a live performance. Specifically, we will demonstrate ShadowLight Productions’ signature large-scale modern cinematic style of shadow theatre. All skill levels are welcome. We recognize that this is a new art form for many people. We provide all training, tools, and materials so that everyone can succeed.

We welcome seasoned theatre practitioners and shadow aficionados as well as enthusiastic beginners to join us this summer. This workshop is also a professional development opportunity for educators who want to bring shadow theatre to their schools or communities. Ensemble work within the ShadowLight creative process encourages collaboration, imagination, reflection, inquiry and kinesthetic learning. These are skills you can bring back to any work or creative environment. Instruction in Spanish is available as needed. Participants must be 15 years or older. If an applicant is under 18, they will need to provide a letter of recommendation from a current or past instructor. Our cinematic shadow theatre workshop is offered in two different parts: a three-day introduction course or a twelve-day intensive (sold out). You must attend the three-day Introduction to Cinematic Shadow Theatre in order to participate in the twelve-day intensive workshop. Registration is limited to twenty participants for the twelve-day intensive workshop to ensure a high-quality experience. Read descriptions of each option below.

SOLD OUT THANK YOU!

Option One: Three Day Introduction to Cinematic Shadow Theatre

Option One is a three-day introduction to shadow theatre covering shadow theatre history, screen types, lighting methods, puppetry, masks, and staging as well as ShadowLight Productions signature large-scale modern cinematic style of shadow theatre. We will also have optional open studio hours with ShadowLight teaching artists for hands-on work with puppets, masks, technique, and experimentation. Specifically, we will be working with single point halogen lamps invented by ShadowLight Productions, carbon arc, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent, flame effect bulbs, actual flame, overhead projectors, video projections, flashlights, and mirrors. We will be introducing Chinese, Balinese, and large scale cinematic screen techniques.

Option Two extends the introductory workshop to a full production experience where you are invited to participate as an ensemble member in an original interdisciplinary ShadowLight shadow theatre production. Further hands-on instruction will be integrated into this portion of the workshop. Each participant will be involved in all aspects of the production including creating puppets, masks, sets and performing. Optional open studio hours with ShadowLight teaching artists will be available in three-hour increments to allow participants to create puppets, masks, and sets and to experiment with techniques outside of class time. There will be a culminating live performance on Saturday, July 20th, 2019.

Housing & Transportation

We are happy to assist participants in finding lodging options for a variety of budgets.

Our rehearsal studio is located one mile from West Oakland BART. We are happy to assist with transportation from San Francisco and from West Oakland Bart. If you choose to drive, there is ample parking around the studio.

“Reed is a superb collaborator and a true original in his field. He is a fine teacher and an excellent disseminator of his wide spread knowledge.”

-Carey Perloff, Artistic Director, American Conservatory Theater

“...The illusion is massive, complex, and created by precise ensemble choreography. Once it crossed my mind that I'd like to go backstage and see how it all worked, but the richness of the shadow picture was so satisfying, I chose to remain an innocent.”